Can't we find a middle ground?

Nov 06

Drive Time!

I am afraid of driving.

I mean, really afraid of driving.

Well, some people from my church (namely Leanne and Cheryl) decided it was time for me to get over myself and learn anyway. Obviously, I wasn’t too keen on the suggestion.But they persisted…

And persisted…And persisted until I finally relented. So, today was my first driving lesson. Leanne is teaching me, and it’s not too bad. She is probably the best person in the world to teach me, too, since she is the essence of everything calm and controlled…which I am not when I drive. We drove around the parking lot, starting with only putting the car in drive and allowing it to cruise forward without the help of the gas pedal. After a time of cruising around and practicing stopping and starting (I can now stop a car without the jerky motion…most of the time), we practiced using the gas pedal and the brake and turning. That part ended up being most of the lesson, which was fine. There is a corner in the church parking lot that I have named The Corner of Doom because the turn there is relatively difficult to make for me. I always mess up in some way or another there. I also parked the car (okay, okay, it’s a minivan) in one of the spots and backed it up, too.

Now for the casualties. I only scratched the car twice. Once when I was too close to a low-hanging branch that needs to be trimmed and once while parking the car. I didn’t know the curb was so high and the bottom of the car scraped against it…no big deal, though, because Leanne has done that, too. So the car survived (Hannah will be so disappointed).But overall, I had a surprisingly good time, despite the fact that I had to stop a few times and take a few deep breaths to relax myself. And I have homework: I have to look up the rules for someone without a driver’s licence or permit, for someone with just a permit, and for someone 18 and over with a license. I also need to pay attention when other people drive.

I will probably have at least one lesson next week, possibly two.

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Nov 05

February 20

This is the eigth track off Steven Curtis Chapman’s new album, Beauty Will Rise. It is about the day that Maria Sue (the youngest Chapman involved in the car accident that took her life) became a Christian, just one month before she went to be with Jesus. I think it’s one of the most personal songs off the album talking about how Steven and his wife, Mary Beth, explained to her about Jesus and Heaven.

February 20
by Steven Curtis Chapman

February 20, 2008
On the floor with her mom
Putting her shoes on
Getting ready for another dayFebruary 20
She says, “Mom, is it true
Does God really have a big, big house
Does it really have a lot of rooms?”
She said, “I really, really wanna go there.”
So I said, “Why don’t we just talk to Him?”
And that’s what we did
On February 20

February 20
I did my best to explain
How it is we all will be with God
How it was the Savior came
February 20
If it’s true what He said
That God Himself sang along
With the beautiful song
Of rejoicing in Heaven
As she prayed, “Jesus
Please come and live in my heart
And someday, can I come live with You?”
And we could never have imagined
She’d be going there so soon
So soon
So soonGod only knows
Everything that happened in that moment
God only knows
What He whispered to her heart
And God only knows
Just how thankful I will always be
That He gave her mom to me (Don’t know exactly what this line says…)
February 20

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Our God is in Control

This is the seventh track off Steven Curtis Chapman’s new album, Beauty Will Rise
As the title suggests, it’s about God being in control of every situation. I think this is my favorite song off the album.

Our God is in Control
by Steven Curtis Chapman

This is not how it should be
This is not how it could be
This is how it is
Our God is in controlThis is not how it will be
When we finally will see
We’ll see with our own eyes
He is always in control

And we’ll sing holy, holy
Holy is our God
And we will finally
Really understand what it means
So we’ll sing holy, holy
Holy is our God
We’re waiting for that dayThis is not where we planned to be
When we started this journey
This is where we are
Our God is in control

Though this first taste is bitter
There will be sweetness forever
When we finally taste and see
That our God is in controlAnd we’ll sing holy, holy
Holy is our God
And we will finally
Really understand what it means
So we’ll sing holy, holy
Holy is our God
We’re waiting for that day
We’re waiting for that day
We’ll keep on waiting for that day
And we will know
Our God is in control

(Holy, holy, holy)
(Holy, holy, holy) Our God is in control
(Holy, holy, holy) Our God is in control
(Holy, holy, holy) Our God is in control
(Holy, holy, holy)

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Questions

This is the sixth track off Steven Curtis Chapman’s new album, Beauty Will Rise. It’s called Questions, and it’s about all the things that don’t seem to make sense in this broken and messed-up world.

Questions
by Steve Curtis Chapman

Who are You, God?
‘Cause You are turning out to be
So much different than I imagined
And where are You, God?
‘Cause I am finding life to be
So much harder than I had plannedYou know that I’m afraid
To ask these questions
But You know they are there
And if You know my heart
The way that I believe You do
You know that I believe in You
But still I have these questions

Like how could You, God?
How could You be so good and strong
And make a world that can be so painful
And where were You, God?
I know You had to be right there
I know You never turn Your headYou know that I’m confused
By all this mystery
You know I get afraid
But if You know my heart
As completely as I trust You do
Oh, You know that I am trusting You

So is it true
That for every tear I cry
You cry a thousand more
As You weep with those who weep?
Are are You
Just holding Yourself back
From crushing all the pain
And evil in this world
For reasons we just can’t understand for now
But isn’t a day of redemption coming?
Redemption is comingQuickly, Lord, come quickly Lord, quickly

So who am I, God?
That You would raise me from the dust
And breathe Your Life and Your Love into me
You know that I believe

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Faithful

This is the fifth track off Steven Curtis Chapman’s new album, Beauty Will Rise. It’s a song about God’s faithfulness amongst our doubt and pain.

Faithful
by Steven Curtis Chapman

I am broken, I am bleeding
I am scared and I’m confused
But You are faithful
Yes, You are faithfulI am weary of believeing
God, please help my unbelief
‘Cause You are faithful
Yes, You are faithful

I will proclaim it to the world
I will declare it to my heart
I’ll sing it when the sun is shining
I will scream it in the darkYou are faithful
You are faithful
When You give and when You take away
Even then, still Your Name is faithful
You are faithful
And with everything inside of me
I am choosing to believe
You are faithful

I am waiting for the rescue
That I know is sure to come
‘Cause You are faithful
Yes, You are faithfulI have dropped anchor in Your Promises
And I am holding on
‘Cause You are faithful
God, You are faithful

When I cannot have the answers
That I’m wanting to demand
I’ll remember You are God
And everything is in Your Hands
In Your Hands, You put the sun and moon
The stars up in the sky
For the sake of love, You hung Your own Son
On the Cross to dieAnd You are faithful
Yes, You are faithful
When You give, when You take away
Even then, great is Your faithfulness
Great is Your faithfulness
And with everything inside of me
I am choosing to believe
You’re faithful

When You give, when You take away
Even then, still Your Name is faithful
You are faithful
And with everything inside of me
I am choosing to believe
You are faithful

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A Modern Day Psalm

This is the story of our church losing it’s property put to a song thing. I rather enjoyed making it :) and I’m reposting it for several reasons.
1) Because I have a title :)
2) Because if you feel like God may want you to, you can follow this link to figure out how you can get involved in Pathway and our future. - http://www.hispathway.org/pathway_fellowship/Pathway_on_the_Move.html
3) Because I enjoy it :)

Now, this is a story all about how
Our lives got flipped, turned upside down
And I’d like to take a minute, just sit right there
I’ll tell you how we got kicked out of our property right here

In west Orangeval-e-a, born and raised
In the churchhouse was where we spent most of our days
Kicking back, fellowship, chillaxin’ all cool
And all listenin to our preacher and sippin our joeWe had all our programs, VBS and youth group
We all had our lives, whether happy or droop
We were Methodists, we knew it with pride
We wore the emblem and we gave them a tithe

Then they went funny, they weren’t Bible-sound
We said this won’t work, we can’t stick around
Their lives aren’t of truth and we can’t stand the greed
They said, hey wait, what about your church deed?We said, you’re mad! This place is ours
We bought it with our money, we worked very hard
They said, you’re with us, so we get it all
We’re taking you to court and they’ll settle this brawl

Well, the judge didn’t get it, we had a wacko up there
He ruled in their favor, but against our prayers
You see, he cared more about their liberal agenda
Than about their personal vendettaSo it was settled, and we must find a plan
We went to mediation, hoping we can
Find a solution to this problem we fared
But they were rude, they couldn’t have cared

They didn’t ever budge below one-point-eight
Million dollars, a lot, we were in a bad state
They said we must vacate, we had 6 months to leave
Immediately, we were sad, we wanted to grieveFor we had baptized and babied, fellowshipped and funned
Enjoyed each other’s company, laughed and punned
We had been there over one hundred, twenty years
We didn’t want to leave this place we held so dear

So now, we’re asking God to get us out
For we are in quite a pickle, we’re starting to doubt
We need your grace, and a good dose of love
To keep us moving on, send some help from aboveFor we’re looking at the mountains, we’re surrounded on all sides
We want You to lead, but we’re in for a ride
Following Your will isn’t always a breeze
This time, we’ve got to hand over the keys

But God, we still trust, and we’ll band together
For the cause You laid out, we’ll brave the weather
Thanks for the fun and the memories, too
Let’s start this chapter, and begin anew!Again, if you would like to find out more about what happened to Pathway Fellowship (our church) or if you feel like God may be wanting you to become involved, you can head over to http://hispathway.org/ or follow this link for more information as to what happened and what our options are. - http://www.hispathway.org/pathway_fellowship/Pathway_on_the_Move.html

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Nov 03

Just Have To Wait

This is the fourth song off Steven Curtis Chapman’s new album, Beauty Will Rise, and I think it’s one of my favorites. It’s one of the most upbeat songs, where Steven enjoys the memories he has of his daughter, while yet again, longing for her in Heaven.

Just Have To Wait
by Steven Curtis Chapman

I can’t wait to see your smile again
The one where your eyes disappear
Along with all my troubles
And I can’t wait to hear you sing a song
Maybe “Jesus Loves Me” or a song you learned up there
But I, oh I’ll
Just have to wait
‘Cause I know that day is coming
So I, oh I’ll
Just have to waitI can’t wait to hear your momma laugh
The way that only you can make her laugh
When you get silly
And I can’t wait to see you in her arms
I know the wound’s so deep inside your heart
Is healed for good
But I, oh I’ll
Just have to wait
‘Cause I know that day is coming
So I, oh I’ll
Just have to wait
Oh, oh, oh

And I can’t wait to dance with you again
Now that this time, the dance
Will never have to end
Oh I, oh, I’ll
Just have to wait
‘Cause I know that day is coming
So I, oh I’ll
I’ll just have to waitAnd I can’t wait to see your sisters play
The way they do when all of you
Are playing altogether
And I can’t wait to watch your brother’s face
When he can finally see with his own eyes
Everything’s okay
But I just have to wait
‘Cause I know that day is coming
I just have to wait

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SEE

This song, the third track on Steven Curtis Chapman’s new album, Beauty Will Rise, starts out with a beautiful piano and continues the hypnotizing melody throughout the song. This song, like the first two on the album, is focused on Heaven and the amazing gift waiting for each believer. It’s a little Disney-esque in it’s yearning and wishfulness, but very good nonetheless.

SEE
by Steven Curtis Chapman

Right now, all I can taste is bitter tears
Right now, all I an see are clouds of sorrow
From the other side of all this pain
Is that you are here, laughing loud
Calling out to me
Saying “See
It’s everything you said that it would be
And even better than you would believe
And I’m counting down the days until you’re here with me
And finally, you’ll see”But right now, all I can say is “Lord, how long
Before You come and take away this aching?”
This night of weeping seems to have no end
But when the morning night breaks through, we’ll open up our eyes
And we will see
It’s everything He said that it would be
And even better than we would believe
And He’s counting down the days ‘til He says “Come with me.”
And finally

He’ll wipe every tear from our eyes
And make everything new
Just like He promised
Wait and see
Just wait and see
Wait and seeAnd I’m counting down the days until I see
It’s everything He said that it would be
And even better than we would believe
And I’m counting down the days ‘til He says “Come with me”
And finally, we’ll see
We will see

Oh, taste and see
That the Lord is good
The Lord is good
The Lord is goodOh, taste and see
That the Lord is good
The Lord is good
The Lord is good

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Beauty Will Rise

This is the second and title track off Steven Curtis Chapman’s new album. It’s a more fervent, yet hopeful track, declaring that despite the circumstances, something beautiful and amazing will come out.

Beauty Will Rise
by Steven Curtis Chapman

It was the day the world went wrong
I screamed ‘til my voice was gone
And watched through the tears as everything
Came crashing downSlowly panic turns to pain
As we wake to what remains
And sift through the ashes that are left
Behind

But buried deep beneath
All our broken dreams, we have this hopeOut of these ashes
Beauty will rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see it with our own eyes
Out of these ashes
Beauty will rise
For we know
Joy is coming in the morning
In the morning
Beauty will rise

So take another breath for now
And let the tears come washing down
And if you can’t believe, I will believe
For you’Cause I have seen
The signs of Spring, just watch and see

Out of these ashes
Beauty will rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see it with our own eyes
Out of these ashes
Beauty will rise
For we know
Joy is coming in the morning
In the morningI can hear it in the distance
And it’s not too far away
It’s the music and the laughter
Of a wedding and a feast
I can almost feel the hand of God
Reaching for my face
To wipe the tears away
And say “It’s time
To make everything new”
Make it all new

This is our hope
This is a promise
This is our hope
This is Your promiseIt will take our breath away
To see the beauty that’s been made
Out of the ashes
Out of the ashes

It will take our breath away
To see the beauty that He’s made
Out of the ashes
Out of the ashesOut of these ashes
Beauty will rise
And we will dance among the ruins
We will see it with our own eyes
Out of this darkness
New light will shine
And we’ll know the joy that’s
Coming in the morning
In the morning
Beauty will rise
Oh, beauty will rise

Oh, oh, oh, beauty will rise
Oh, oh, oh, beauty will rise
Oh, oh, oh, beauty will rise

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Heaven is the Face

This is the first track of Steven Curtis Chapman’s new CD, Beauty Will Rise, and the first single. It has already been played on many radio stations all over the country. It’s a sweet song about him cherishing the moments with his daughters, and is one of the more happy songs off the album.

Heaven is the Face
by Steven Curtis Chapman

Heaven is the face
Of a little girl
With dark brown eyes
That disappear when she smilesAnd Heaven is the place
Where she calls my name
Says, “Daddy, please
Come play with me for a while”

God, I know
It’s all of this and so much more
But God, You know
That this is what I’m aching for
God, You know
I just can’t see beyond the doorSo right now, Heaven is the sound
Of her breathing deep
Lying on my chest
Falling fast asleep while I sing

And heaven is the weight
Of her in my arms
Being there to keep her
Safe from harm while she dreamsAnd God, I know
It’s all of this and so much more
But God, You know
That this is what I’m longing for
God, You know
I just can’t see beyond the door

But in my mind’s eye, I can see a place
Where Your glory fills every empty space
All the cancer is gone, every mouth is fed
And there’s no one left in the orphan’s bed
Every lonely heart finds that one true Love
And there’s no more good byes and no more not enoughs
And there’s no more enemy
No moreHeaven is a sweet
Maple syrup kiss
And a thousand other little
Things I miss with her gone

And heaven is the place
Where she takes my hand
And leads me to You
And we both run into Your ArmsOh God, I know
It’s so much more than I can dream
It’s far beyond
Anything I can conceive
So God, You know
I’m trusting You until I see

Heaven in the face of my little girl
Heaven in the face of my little girl

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